Codemasters drops ArchLord

UK publisher Codemasters has chosen not to renew its deal to operate MMO ArchLord in the West – though the game will not be closing with Webzen stepping in to take control of the service.

A Codemasters statement on the ArchLord forum reads: Our licence for ArchLord is due to expire shortly and unfortunately, after several weeks of negotiations with NHN, the Korean developers of the title, we have not been able to reach an agreement to renew the contract.”

The publisher will shut down its European servers on October 2nd and transfer all user information over to Webzen, whose own service is scheduled to begin operating on October 3rd.

ArchLord was initially unveiled as one of Codemasters' big first steps into the world of MMO gaming. However, the title struggled to gain widespread appeal, and soon after releasing dropped monthly subscription charges in an effort to boost user numbers in the West.

Codemasters has since gone on to release the far more successful Lord of the Rings Online and also operates Atari's Dungeons & Dragons Online. Upcoming MMO Jumpgate Evolution remains on the publisher's release schedule.